It’s pretty normal for you to want to protect your iPhone and all the information that’s in it. One of the best ways to ensure this is by setting up a passcode. That way, only you and the people you let know of this passcode have the ability to unlock your iPhone. Just like with any password, it’s important to use one that is easy for you to remember. It should also be something that would be hard to guess for other people.
However, what if you suddenly forgot your passcode? Maybe it’s an iPhone that you haven’t used for a while, hence you forgot its passcode. If you can’t remember the passcode of your iPhone, there’s really no other way to unlock this device. You can try to remember different possible passcodes and enter it into your iPhone, but you can only do this six times in a row. Otherwise, your iPhone will automatically disable itself.
This security feature was specifically designed to ensure that other people would not have unauthorized access to your iPhone. Still, this may work against you if you forgot your passcode. Once your iPhone disables itself, there’s really nothing else left to do but erase your iPhone and restore your data if you backed it up on your computer. Do note that erasing your iPhone entails deleting all your data and settings in the device. This also includes the current passcode.
If you have your data backed up, rejoice! You just have to erase your iPhone and restore your data, then you’re good to go. But if you didn’t, there’s no going around this situation – you’ll be forced to reset your iPhone and start from scratch. Now there are different ways on how to remove the passcode from your iPhone depending on the model that you’re using.
How to Unlock Your iPhone If You Forgot the Password
If you’re using an iPhone X or later, iPhone SE (2nd generation), iPhone 8, or iPhone 8 Plus, here are the steps on how to remove the passcode from your phone:
- Remove any accessories or cables connected to your iPhone.
- Press and hold the Lock/Unlock button on the right side of your phone. Simultaneously, press and hold one of the volume buttons located on the left side of your phone. Release both buttons when the Power Off slider appears on the screen.
- Drag the slider to the right to turn off the device. Press and hold the Lock/Unlock button again while you connect your iPhone to your computer. Release the button once Recovery Mode appears on the screen.
- You can now start removing the passcode and erasing your iPhone.
On the other hand, if you’re using an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, here’s what you need to do:
- Remove any accessories or cables connected to your iPhone.
- Press and hold the Lock/Unlock button on the right side of your phone. Release the button once the Power Off slider appears on the screen.
- Drag the slider to the right to turn off the device. Press and hold the Volume Down button while you connect your iPhone to your computer. Release the button once Recovery Mode appears on the screen.
- You can now start removing the passcode and erasing your iPhone.
If what you have is an iPhone SE (1st generation), iPhone 6s or earlier, follow these steps:
- Remove any accessories or cables connected to your iPhone.
- Press and hold the Lock/Unlock button located either on the right side or at the top of your phone. Release the button when the Power Off slider appears on the screen.
- Drag the slider to the right to turn off the device. Press and hold the Home button while you connect your iPhone to your computer. Release the Home button once Recovery Mode appears on the screen.
- You can now start removing the passcode and erasing your iPhone.
What’s the next step?
What you have to do after removing the passcode and erasing your iPhone would depend on whether you backed up your data prior to this situation. If you didn’t, you’ll have no choice but to set it up from scratch. On the other hand, if you did back up your data before you forgot your password, you can simply restore it on your iPhone. Here’s what you need to do:
- With your iPhone connected to your computer, locate the device. You will see the option to either Restore or Update; select Restore. This will prompt iTunes or the Finder to download software for your device.
- Simply wait until the process is done. After this, you can proceed to set up your iPhone and you’re good to go.
Do note that if the process takes more than 15 minutes, your device will automatically exit Recovery Mode. If this happens, you’ll have to repeat the process again to remove the passcode. Now, whether you have a backup or not, you can still re-download all your apps to your iPhone through iTunes and the App Store. They have a list of your purchase history where you can simply select which apps you want to download again.
When you’re all set and done and you want to set up a new passcode again, be sure that it’s something that’ll be easy for you to remember. Having gone through this process once, you now know that it takes a bit of work if you forget your passcode. What’s worse is if you actually didn’t back up your data. Hence, this should be a lesson on the importance of data backup as well as remembering your passcode so you don’t have to go through this scare again.
